Tag Archives: understanding this experience

On not having culture shock in Thailand

November marked two years since my son and I stepped off the plane in Bangkok, where Phil was happily waiting our reunion.  At that point, he had been in Thailand for two months without us because Levi and I were … Continue reading

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Sojourn: ห้าปีนับตั้งแต่

September 10, 2008.  That’s the day I left the U. S. to live in China for what was supposed to be a year.  Now five years has passed since that day.   This photo, taken on the plane from Chicago … Continue reading

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Four years overseas!

This week on 9/10, marked four years since I landed in China and began my life as an ex-pat. I truly never expected to be overseas for this long, but life certainly has been full of surprises.  Part of me thinks … Continue reading

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China vs Thailand (Part Three): Seeds of Discontent

I cried a lot when I was alone in my Chinese apartment.   Encountering a variety people turned out to not be mostly helpful.  Some helped.  There were a few people who did things like point out different places to eat, … Continue reading

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First impressions of the Thai language

Tuesday marked my first Thai lesson.  I felt disoriented and overwhelmed by the process.  We recited the alphabet together, rapid fire, and learned to spell and say a handful of words.  We’re learning to speak, write, and read all at … Continue reading

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China vs. Thailand (Part Two): Landings

Last time I wrote about my feelings and expectations about becoming an expatriate. Most of what I experienced leading up to my flight to Korea was a mix of excitement, fear, in anticipation. I really didn’t know what to actually … Continue reading

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Thailand vs. China (Part One)

Ok, I’ll admit it.  The title of this post isn’t really fair.  As a cross-cultural researcher, one of the first ideas my field teaches is that you can’t exactly compare cultures on a list.  Cultural variations are so different, it’s … Continue reading

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